अथेतरस्त्रिविधो मृदुर्मध्यस्तीक्ष्णश्च |
तं चिकीर्षुः शरदि गिरिसानुजं शुचिरुपोष्य प्रशस्तेऽहनि प्रशस्तदेशजातमनुपहतं मध्यमवयसं महान्तमसितमुष्ककमधिवास्यापरेद्युः पाटयित्वा खण्डशः प्रकल्प्यावपाट्य निवाते देशे निचितिं कृत्वा सुधाशर्कराश्च प्रक्षिप्य तिलनालैरादीपयेत् |
अथोपशान्तेऽग्नौ तद्भस्म पृथग्गृह्णीयाद्भस्मशर्कराश्च |
अथानेनैव विधानेन कुटजपलाशाश्वकर्णपारिभद्रकबिभीतकारग्वधतिल्वकार्कस्नुह्यपामार्गपाटलानक्तमालवृषकदली- चित्रकपूतीकेन्द्रवृक्षास्फोताश्वमारकसप्तच्छदाग्निमन्थगुञ्जाश्चतस्रश्च कोशातकीः समूलफलपत्रशाखा दहेत् |
ततः क्षारद्रोणमुदकद्रोणैः षड्भिरालोड्य मूत्रैर्वा यथोक्तैरेकविंशतिकृत्वः परिस्राव्य, महति कटाहे शनैर्दर्व्याऽवघट्टयन् विपचेत् |
स यदा भवत्यच्छो रक्तस्तीक्ष्णः पिच्छिलश्च तमादाय महति वस्त्रे परिस्राव्येतरं विभज्य पुनरग्नावधिश्रयेत् |
तत एव क्षारोदकात् कुडवमध्यर्धं वाऽपनयेत् |
ततः कटशर्कराभस्मशर्कराक्षीरपाकशङ्खनाभीरग्निवर्णाः कृत्वाऽऽयसे पात्रे तस्मिन्नेव क्षारोदके निषिच्य पिष्ट्वा तेनैव द्विद्रोणेऽष्टपलसम्मितं शङ्खनाभ्यादीनां प्रमाणं प्रतिवाप्य , सततमप्रमत्तश्चैनमवघट्टयन् विपचेत् |
स यथा नातिसान्द्रो नातिद्रवश्च भवति तथा प्रयतेत |
अथैनमागतपाकमवतार्यानुगुप्तमायसे कुम्भे संवृतमुखे निदध्यादेष मध्यमः ||११||
एष चैवाप्रतीवापः पक्वः संव्यूहिमो मृदुः ||१२||
Meaning of the śloka
The other kind of kshara, intended for external application, is of three strengths: mild, medium and strong. The text describes its preparation as follows. In autumn, a person who is clean and has fasted selects a large, mature but not old, uninjured asita-mushkaka growing on a mountain slope in a suitable place. After the prescribed consecration, the tree is cut the next day, divided and split into pieces, and stacked in a sheltered place. Sudha stones are added, and the pile is ignited with sesame stalks. When the fire has subsided, the ash and the ash concretions are collected separately. In the same manner, kutaja, palasha, ashvakarna, paribhadraka, bibhitaka, aragvadha, tilvaka, arka, snuhi, apamarga, patala, naktamala, vrisha, kadali, chitraka, putika, indravriksha, asphota, ashvamaraka, saptacchada, agnimantha, gunja and the four kinds of koshataki are burnt together with their respective roots, fruits, leaves and branches.
A drona of the ash material is mixed with six dronas of water, or with the previously specified urines, filtered twenty-one times, and slowly cooked in a large vessel while being stirred with a ladle. When the liquid becomes clear, reddish, sharp and slimy, it is filtered through a large cloth, the residue is separated, and the liquid is returned to the fire. A kudava or one and a half kudavas of this kshara liquid is set aside. Katasharkara, bhasmasharkara, kshirapaka and shankhanabhi are heated to the colour of fire, quenched in that reserved liquid in an iron vessel, and ground with it. The text then specifies adding the preparation of shankhanabhi and the other materials in an eight-pala measure to two dronas; the commentary records disagreements about how this measure is distributed. Cooking continues with constant, attentive stirring, so that the product is neither too thick nor too fluid. Once properly cooked, it is removed and kept securely in an iron vessel with its mouth covered. This is the medium preparation. When cooked without the addition, it is the mild preparation called samvyuhima.
Show commentary
अथेतर इत्यादि| इतरः प्रतिसारणीयः; अथेतरो मृदुरित्याद्यत्र केचिन्न पठन्ति| प्रतिसारणीयस्य पाकविधिं निर्देष्टुमाह- तं चिकीर्षुरित्यादि| तं प्रतिसारणीयं, चिकीर्षुः कर्तुमिच्छुः; तं चिकीर्षुरित्यत्र ‘अथेतरं चिकीर्षुः’ इति केचित् पठन्ति; अथशब्दो मङ्गलार्थः, इतरं प्रतिसारणीयम्| गिरिसानुजं पर्वतोपरिजातं, “गिरिसानुजमिति जाङ्गलदेशोपलक्षणम्” इत्यन्ये| ‘शुचिरुपोष्य’ इत्यत्र ‘शुचिरुपवसन्’ इति केचित् पठन्ति| अनुपहतं कृमिदवाग्निगराद्यनुपहतम्| असितमुष्ककं कृष्णपुष्पमोक्षकं, न श्वेतादिपुष्पम्| अधिवास्य मन्त्रवद्बलिकर्मोपहरेदित्यर्थः| केचिदस्याग्रे “मन्त्रेणानेनाभिमन्त्र्य- अग्निवीर्य! महावीर्य! मा ते वीर्यं प्रणश्यतु| इहैव तिष्ठ कल्याण! मम कार्यं करिष्यसि|| मम कार्ये कृते पश्चाद्देवलोकं गमिष्यसि| श्वेतरक्तपुष्पसहस्रं जुहुयात्” इति पठन्ति; अयं च निबन्धेषु न पठ्यते| अन्ये त्वत्र “प्राङ्मुखोपगतस्तत्र बलिं दत्त्वा चतुर्दिशम्| वृक्षाभ्याशे ततो ब्रूयात् प्राञ्जलिः प्रयतः शुचिः|| निवसन्तीह भूतानि यान्यस्मिन् कानिचिद्द्रुमे| अपक्रामन्त्वयं छेद्यः परार्थे श्वो मया द्रुमः| एवमामन्त्रितं वृक्षं लाजाधूपैः सुरासवैः| प्रभाते वैकृतं तत्र न पश्येच्छेदयेत्ततः| शान्ते नीहारतिमिरे युगमात्रोदिते रवौ| पूर्वाग्रमुत्तराग्रस्थं तं तरुं पात(ट)येद्द्रुतम्” “इत्यधिवासनमन्त्रं पठन्ति, भोजेऽप्येवमेव पठ्यते” इति च वदन्ति| अपरेद्युरपरस्मिन् दिने| खण्डशः प्रकल्प्य बहून् खण्डान् कृत्वा| अवपाट्य तान् खण्डान् पुनः पाटयित्वा; ‘अपरेद्युः पाटयित्वा इत्यस्य स्थाने ‘प्रभाते वैकृतमद्भुतं न पश्येत्तदोपकल्पयेत्’ इति क्वचित् पाठः| वैकृतं तरुशाखाभङ्गादि, अद्भुतं रुधिरवर्षादि, इति च तस्य व्याख्यानम्| निचितिः काष्ठानामौत्तराधर्येणावस्थितिः; केचिदत्र ‘चितिं कृत्वा’ इति पठन्ति, चितिं दाहस्थानमिति व्याख्यानयन्ति| तिलनालैरादीपयेत् तिलनालदीपनाच्छक्त्यतिशयो भवति| निचितिं कृत्वेत्यस्याग्रे केचित् ‘सुधाशर्कराः प्रक्षिप्य’ इति पठन्ति, व्याख्यानयन्ति च- सुधाशर्कराः सुधापाषाणाः| भस्मशर्कराश्चेति दह्यमानार्द्रकाष्ठरसाच्छर्करेवान्योन्यसंहतं भस्मजातं भस्मशर्करेत्युच्यते, तां च पृथक् गृह्णीयात्; पृथग्ग्रहणं भिन्नप्रयोजनार्थं; तेन भस्मनः क्षारोदककरणं, भस्मशर्करा पुनः क्षारद्रव्यसमवापिनी| अन्ये तु ‘पृथक् गृह्णीयात्’ इत्यस्याग्रे ‘कटशर्करा भस्मशर्कराश्च’ इति पठन्ति, ‘कटशर्करा अदग्धसुधापाषाणाः, भस्मशर्करास्तु क्षारद्रव्यैः सह दग्धाश्चूर्णपाषाणाः’ इति च व्याख्यानयन्ति| एष दाहकल्पः| अथानेनैवेत्यादि| अथानेनैव विधानेनेत्यनेन निवातदेशनिचितिस्तिलनालदीपनं च लभ्यते, गिरिसानुजमित्यस्य जाङ्गलदेशोपलक्षणत्वं, तेनेहापि कुटजादीन्यपि जाङ्गलानि गृह्यन्ते| मुष्ककस्य कुटजादीनां चैकदेशकल्पनत्वेऽपि पृथग्दाहविधानं कुटजादिभस्मनो मुष्ककभस्मनो भागाधिक्यख्यापनार्थं, भागाधिक्यं च ‘ततः क्षारद्रोणमुदकद्रोणैः षड्भिः’- इत्यत्र वक्ष्यामः| अन्ये तु मुष्ककेणैकेनापि क्षारो भवतीति पृथग्विधानं बोधयति| पलाशः किंशुकः; अश्वकर्णः पूर्वदेशे गन्धमुण्डः पिप्पलसदृशः , पारिभद्रको देवदारुः, अन्ये तु रक्तकुसुमः कण्टकीवृक्षविशेषः स्वनाम्ना प्रसिद्धः, तिल्वकः स्वनामप्रसिद्धः; इन्द्रवृक्षः कुटज एव, द्विविधो हि कुटजो बृहत्फलः श्वेतपुष्पः स्निग्धपत्रः पुमान्, अणुफलवृन्ता श्यावारुणपुष्पा स्त्री; आस्फोता सारिवा; कोशातकी घोषकः; सा चतुर्विधा- बृहत्फला, अल्पफला, पीतपुष्पा, श्वेतपुष्पा, इति| समूलफलपत्रशाखा इति कुटजादिभिः सह प्रत्येकं सम्बध्यते| केचित् कुटजादिकोशातक्यन्तं समस्य पठन्ति| ततः क्षारद्रोणमित्यादि ततो मुष्कककुटजादिदाहानन्तरम्| क्षारद्रोणमिति मुष्ककभस्मनो द्वौ भागौ कुटजादिभस्मन एको भाग इति मिश्रीकृतं क्षारद्रोणमुच्यते| उदकद्रोणैः षड्भिरिति भस्मद्रव्यात् षड्गुणोदकपरिभाषेयम्, अनयैवान्यत्रापि क्षारपाकविधौ क्षारकल्पनं; पक्षान्तरं दर्शयति- मूत्रैर्वा यथोक्तैरिति दुन्दुभिस्वनीयकल्पोक्तैरित्यर्थः ; तथाहि- ‘गवां मूत्रेण क्षारकल्पेन परिस्राव्य विपचेत्’ (क. अ. ६)- इति; अत्रापि क्षारकल्पेनेति वचनाद्भस्मद्रव्यान्मूत्रस्य षड्गुणत्वमुक्तम्| एकविंशतिकृत्वः परिस्राव्येति एकविंशतिवारान् वस्त्रेण गालयित्वा| अवघट्टयन् चालयन्, तावत् पचेत् स यदा भवत्यच्छो रक्तस्तीक्ष्णः पिच्छिलश्चेति| एतेऽच्छादयो गुणास्त्रिभागावशेषे क्षारोदके भवन्ति| तं क्षारक्वाथम्| आदाय गृहीत्वा| इतरं विभज्य क्षारभस्मकल्कं; ‘इतरद्विसृज्य’ इति क्वचित् पाठः, तत्रेतरत् भस्म किट्टभूतम्| अधिश्रयेत् आरोपयेत्| तत एव क्षारोदकात् कुडवमध्यर्धं वाऽपनयेदिति कुडवमष्टौ पलान्यपनयेत्; अध्यर्धमित्यत्र कुडवमिति सम्बध्यते, तेनाध्यर्धं कुडवं द्वादशपलानि वाऽपनयेत्| अन्ये त्वत्र द्वैगुण्यं न मन्यन्ते| एतच्च क्षारोदकापनयनं कटशर्करादीनां निषेकार्थं पेषणार्थं च; अन्ये तु कटशर्करादीनां भागप्रमाणज्ञापनार्थमिति वदन्ति, तेन कटशर्करादीनि द्रव्याणि प्रत्येकं कुडवप्रमाणान्यध्यर्धकुडवप्रमाणानि वा आवपेदित्यर्थः| ततः कटशर्करेत्यादि कटशर्करा गाङ्गेष्ठी, भस्मशर्करा अत्रैवाध्याये पूर्वं व्याख्याता; अन्ये तु कटशर्कराभस्मशर्करयोरन्यथा व्याख्यानं कुर्वन्ति तदप्यत्रैवाध्याये कथितम्| क्षीरपाको जलशुक्तिः| आयसे पात्रे लौहे भाजने, एते अग्निवर्णाः कृत्वा, तस्मिन्नेव क्षारोदके पूर्वोपनीते कुडवेऽध्यर्धकुडवे वा, निषिच्य प्रक्षिप्य| त्रैषां कटशर्करादीनामनिर्दिष्टप्रमाणत्वात् समा भागा इत्येके; समभागश्चात्र प्रत्येकमष्टौ पलानि; एवं च द्वात्रिंशत् पलानि भवन्ति; एतेन द्विद्रोणेऽष्टपलसम्मितमित्यपि प्रमाणमनुकूलितं भवति; द्विद्रोणे षोडशांशश्चावापभागो ज्ञापितो भवति| अन्ये त्वष्टपलसम्मितमिति कटशर्करादीनां प्रत्येकं द्वे द्वे पले इत्येवमष्टपलत्वं मन्यन्ते| तन्न, शङ्खनाभिप्रधानत्वादेव क्षारस्य; एवं च विश्वामित्रभोजोक्तभागकल्पना निरस्ता; तदुक्तभागग्रहणेऽपि शङ्खनाभेरप्राधान्यं स्यात्| द्विद्रोणग्रहणेन त्रिभागावशेषं क्षारोदकं सर्वत्र परिभाषयन्ति वृद्धाः, प्रायेण हि विमिश्रितं क्षारद्रोणमाहुः; उदकद्रोणैः षड्भिरिति षट्त्रिंशदधिकपञ्चदशशतोदकपलैः सह विपचेदित्यर्थः; ततस्तस्य पच्यमानस्य तैक्ष्ण्याच्छरक्तपिच्छिलादयो गुणाः षोडशांशावशिष्टे षण्णवतिपलप्रमाणे भवन्ति| अन्ये तु वदन्ति- न चात्र चतुर्भागाद्यवशेषणादिपरिभाषा व्याप्रियते, तस्माच्छनैः शनैस्तावद्विपचेद्यावद्रागादिगुणयुक्तः क्वाथो भवति क्षारसञ्ज्ञित इति| षण्णवतिपलप्रमाणे तु क्षारोदके कटशर्करादीनां समभागानां चतुर्थांशमावापमिच्छन्ति ||११-१२||
Meaning of the commentary
'The other' means pratisaraniya kshara, the externally applied kind. Some manuscripts omit the initial statement of its three strengths; others read 'now, wishing to prepare the other kind', with 'atha' serving as an auspicious opening. Girisanuja means growing on a mountain; other interpreters take it to indicate jangala country. A variant says 'being clean and fasting'. The tree must be unharmed by worms, forest fire, poison and similar causes. Asita-mushkaka is identified as the black-flowered mokshaka, excluding white-flowered and other forms. Adhivasana means a ritual offering accompanied by a mantra.
Some readers insert an invocation asking the tree, whose potency is associated with fire, to retain its strength, remain to accomplish the speaker's task, and afterwards go to the world of the gods, together with an offering of a thousand white and red flowers. The commentator notes that this passage is not read in the nibandhas. Another reported ritual directs a clean, attentive person to approach facing east, make offerings in the four directions, and with joined hands ask the beings inhabiting the tree to leave because it will be cut the following day for the benefit of others. Parched grain, incense, sura and asava are offered. In the morning, if no abnormal sign is seen, the tree is felled with its top to the east or north after mist and darkness have cleared and the sun has risen to the specified yuga height. This version is said also to occur in Bhoja.
'On the next day' is glossed directly. Dividing and splitting mean first making many pieces and then splitting those again. A variant instead directs preparation in the morning only if no abnormality or extraordinary portent is seen: a broken branch illustrates the former, a rain of blood the latter. Niciti means wood placed in successive layers; those reading citi explain it as the burning place. Ignition with sesame stalks is said to increase potency. Some readings explicitly insert sudha stones here. Bhasmasharkara is explained as ash clumped together like gravel by sap released from burning moist wood. It is collected separately because ordinary ash makes the kshara liquid whereas the concretions are later added to the preparation. Another reading mentions both katasharkara and bhasmasharkara: its interpreters identify the former as unburnt sudha stones and the latter as lime stones burnt with the kshara materials.
'The same method' carries forward the sheltered location, stacking and sesame-stalk ignition, and the plants beginning with kutaja are likewise taken from jangala country. Although their treatment resembles that of mushkaka, the separate burning instruction is explained as indicating a larger proportion of mushkaka ash. Others understand it to show that mushkaka alone can produce kshara. Palasha is kimshuka. Ashvakarna is described as an eastern plant called gandhamunda, resembling pippala. Paribhadraka is identified by one view as devadaru and by another as the familiar thorny, red-flowered tree of that name. Tilvaka is said to be known by its own name. Indravriksha is another kutaja: kutaja has a male form with large fruits, white flowers and smooth leaves, and a female form with small fruits and stalks and dusky-red flowers. Asphota is identified as sariva; koshataki as ghoshaka, with large-fruited, small-fruited, yellow-flowered and white-flowered kinds. The inclusion of roots, fruits, leaves and branches applies separately to each named plant. Some readers present the whole plant list as a compound.
The drona of ash is explained as a mixture of two parts mushkaka ash and one part ash from kutaja and the other plants. Six dronas of water establishes a sixfold liquid-to-ash proportion, which the commentator extends to other kshara preparations. The urine alternative refers to the Dundubhisvaniya Kalpa passage describing cow urine; the same sixfold proportion is inferred there. Twenty-one filtrations means twenty-one passages through cloth. Stirring means keeping the liquid moving. The clear, reddish, sharp and slimy qualities are initially said to appear when one third of the liquid remains. The further filtration separates the ash paste; a variant explicitly directs discarding the ash residue.
The reserved kudava is here interpreted as eight palas, and one and a half kudavas as twelve palas. Other interpreters do not accept this doubling. The reserved liquid is for quenching and grinding the mineral additions. Another interpretation treats the wording as specifying the quantity of each addition: a kudava or one and a half kudavas each. Katasharkara is identified here as gangeshthi; the earlier alternative identifications of katasharkara and bhasmasharkara are also acknowledged. Kshirapaka is identified as jalashukti. The heated materials are put into the reserved kshara liquid in an iron vessel.
The proportions of the added materials are disputed. One account takes unspecified proportions to mean equal shares, here eight palas of each of the four materials, giving thirty-two palas in all. It regards this as compatible with the phrase concerning two dronas and eight palas and as indicating an addition of one sixteenth. Others take eight palas as the combined amount, two palas of each material. The commentator rejects that view on the ground that shankhanabhi must retain its principal role; the proportions attributed to Vishvamitra and Bhoja are rejected on the same ground.
The concluding discussion supplies differing accounts of reduction and measurement rather than one undisputed calculation. Elders are said to understand the mention of two dronas as establishing a one-third remainder, and the six dronas of starting water are calculated as 1,536 palas. A subsequent account places the required clear, reddish and slimy qualities at a one-sixteenth remainder, ninety-six palas. Other interpreters reject application of a fixed one-quarter or similar reduction rule here: cooking should continue slowly until the characteristic colour and other qualities of kshara appear. For ninety-six palas of kshara liquid, an addition amounting to one quarter, made from equal portions of katasharkara and the other materials, is also reported.